Best Road Trips in the US for Deer Hunters
The best hunting is when you step outside of your comfort zone and head to somewhere entirely new. Loading up your vehicle and heading off to a hunting location that you're not familiar with can make you feel like a fresh-faced beginner all over again.
You’ll have less awareness of what to expect from the new hunting area, and that uncertainty can make all of the difference when it comes to a successful day in the woods. Deer hunting can be done in a lot of states, and that means you can combine a road trip and your hunting time to get the very best of America. Here are some road trips that might change the way that you look at hunting.
Washington
There are a lot more whitetails in Washington than you might think. Washington has a reputation for being rife with elk and blacktail, but there is also a very high population of whitetails too. Start at the northeast in District 1, but save some time for hunting on public lands as well. The Colville National Forest covers a whopping 1.1 million acres and is home to a large number of whitetails. You’ll need a permit for this, and although winters aren’t especially brutal, they can still get surprisingly cold surprisingly fast.
North Dakota
This is the dream destination for American bowhunters. That’s because it’s possible to drive into the state, pick up a whitetail tag, and then start hunting on the same day. That accessibility makes it one of the best destinations in the states for hunting whitetails. Whether you’re hunting with a rifle or a bow, you’re not going to run out of locations to explore either. The sheer number of acres of public land is mind-boggling. Make sure that you explore at least a few of these locations if you're in the state for a while:
- State wildlife management areas
- BLM lands
- State forest service land
- National wildlife refuges (you will need to contact these beforehand)
The aptly named Killdeer Mountains should be a priority, and it’s also worth remembering that if you're going early into the season, then you might get the opportunity to spot a velvet-clad buck. There’s nothing quite like that thrill, which is why North Dakota should be high on your list of places to hunt.
Oklahoma
Wedged between Kansas and Texas, the Sooner State has plenty of public lands available for whitetail hunting. If you're hunting with a bow, then you’ll be able to get your license on the day that you arrive so that you can get to the hunt as quickly as possible. You’ll stand a good chance of tagging a buck if you get your timing right. Try and aim for the public lands that are in the southern end of the state, as the richer soil and heavier timber make it a natural home for whitetails. With 920,000 acres of public land to hunt on you’re not going to run out of room, but you should definitely take the time to try out the Three Rivers and Honobia Creek WMAs.
There’s nothing quite like the excitement of heading off to a hunt in an entirely new location. That air of the unexpected, and the thrill that is part and parcel of the hunt experience, all combine to make road trip hunting trips some of the best fun that you can have in America.
Image by Lubos Houska from Pixabay